"President Donald Trump threatened to fire Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after her blunt warnings about the severity of COVID-19 caused the stock market to plunge in February, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Many of the details on the episode surrounding Messonnier were also reported in a lengthy New York Times investigation into all the times Trump brushed aside warnings of the severity of the coronavirus crisis, failed to act, or was delayed by significant infighting and mixed messages from his aides at the White House.
The bulk of The Wall Street Journal's Wednesday report focused on the role of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in directing the Trump administration's coronavirus response before he was pushed aside after a series of crucial missteps he made — in addition to his clashing with Trump."
Grace Panetta reports for Business Insider April 22, 2020.
SEE ALSO:
"Health Chief’s Early Missteps Set Back Coronavirus Response" (Wall St. Journal)
Advertisement 
